Recipe for the end of times

            Charles Dickens wrote in the Tale of two cities “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.” The rock group Styx penned “The best of times.” In that song they stated “people lock their door and run and hide, I do believe it’s the end of paradise.” Are we there yet? I remember as a kid running into the house with a smooth motion. That meant I opened the door and walked in because the door was always open. There was no remembering the code or fumbling for keys in the dark. I remember it as the best of times.

            If I had a dime for every time I have heard people wonder if the end of time is close, I’d be rich. We lock our doors, have fewer friends, and trust no one. We distrust the police, political, and the news. Posts on Facebook and twitter spout opinions over facts. The truth is called opinion now. Recently the Olympic community has been silently rocked over genes. What constitutes a girl? The facts say it’s in the genes. Opinion says that is just not true.

            Jesus said that in the last day’s truth would be the focal point. False witnesses and rumors would rule the day. How did he know? The American election will be won over perception rather than facts. The media has painted Trump a certain way. Is it true? You probably immediately say yes. Yet, where do you get your opinion from? The social world?

            I know people who have never set foot in a church yet they are certain that church is bad. In Canada we have been told that our new Prime Minister is the best that ever was. It’s not even been a year. Do we really know what the best of times and worst of times look like? It’s strange but locking our doors is safer. Security at airports is safer. Is it? I wonder if having the freedom of walking on a plane and leave your door unlocked is safer? How can I say that? In reality it was safer then. I could do that without worries.

            What does God have to say about end of times. Jesus told insights that it would be better not to be pregnant. He said there would be wars, famine, and earthquakes. Big deal we have had them for years. True, but we are used to them now. Every year there is a new virus. Terrorism is at its height. Money being spent on safely and security is at an all-time high. Water, food, and resources are not in great shape. Why do you really think Global warming is an issue? It’s because we can see an issue.

            Does it mean we are doomed? Well that depends on your perspective. Jesus also pointed out that these things had to happen first. The end can’t come until the worst of times hits us. Are we there yet? I think the answer is closer to no. The Bible seems to paint a picture of the end of times as being very bad. Epic bad. I feel that whatever we think is bad (multiply by 10) is epic bad. People in the past wars of history have said it was bad. The year 2000 looked bad. That was a while ago now. 2001 looked bad. 2008 looked bad. All these points in time looked terrible. There have been tsunamis and earthquakes between those dates.

            I think the reason we think it’s the worst of times is twofold. One is that since the economic collapse in 2008 we have not been able to recover around the world. Slowly country after country has fallen. It seems as we get a little traction with recovery a disaster strikes like an earthquake or fire. The second is the era of entitlement. We are a soft people. We think this is bad. The for-fathers looked at times like these differently. It’s was time to roll up their sleeves and fight to survive. I feel this generation wants to borrow or blame its way out of this mess. Is it time to get cooking or are we a recipe for disaster: time will tell.

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